Posts Tagged ‘Financial Crisis’

I’ve been busy with other “necessary” things lately, such as painting the house between bouts of inclement weather. Poetry still whistles through the mind but is blown away before I’m able to capture it, so you don’t know what you’ve missed and now neither do I. I have found time occasionally to delve again into the book “The Ode Less Travelled” by Stephen Fry, a goldmine of information on writing rhyming poetry and a joy to read. My wife and I are celebrating our joint 138th birthday today and I’m writing this in the waiting period before the guests arrive. Downstairs there are chairs everywhere and the scattered collection of things I like to have at hand are stored away where I hope I can find them again later. The trees that I always can see from here on high through the window are continuously nodding back and forth and probably still wet from the last shower of yesterday. Some nearby have already given up on the summer and are shedding their leaves. Internationally, the only solution to increasing debt still appears to be increasing debt by “printing” even more money. I heard a rumour that the banks have recently discovered that it might be a good idea to do business with the little people again and raise the interest rates on savings. That might work. Years ago I was somewhat hooked on adventure game software, but after having my PC destroyed by horrid unannounced anti-copying elements I rather lost interest. Recently I purchased for a small fee the title “A stitch in Time” from lassiegames.com. It’s a sequel to a freely available game also available from their site. I can heartily recommend these to those interested in the “point and click” genre. They are gems from two dedicated part time enthusiasts.

A failing president it seems Is dangerous to great extremes As those behind bewitched by power Plot ways to sweeten what’s grown sour They must create events, of course That urge a rapid show of force Attacks upon the native soil That guarantee the blood will boil In those unpleasantly impressed Are rated highly if not best

A danger thwarted overseas That could have brought all to their knees Is with a media loyal and true Sold as a worthwhile thing to do And loss of life so far away Can these days people hardly sway Who educated by TV See violence a necessity To keep them safe from ill intent Of those who hate through discontent

One world, one government, just one To rule when power and greed have won That will at last bring peace and rest To those who then will be oppressed While freedom’s champions must hide As outcasts others will deride And persecute if daring to Express a wayward point of view It sounds familiar – a cliché That’s being born, now, here, today

“It has been almost three years since the Federal Reserve took its interest rates to 1% and most recently to zero. This allows member banks to borrow money at no cost. The Fed lends to large banks with little or no control, so that these banks, some of which are owners of the Fed, can really do as they please. The Fed even lends at zero and re-borrows from these banks at a higher level, guaranteeing the banks a riskless profit. Those profits would have gone to the US Treasury and the American taxpayer. These profits for the most part are the result of the creation of money and credit by the Fed. The banks are so overjoyed regarding the results that the Fed has told them that it will keep the current policy for at least the next two years. The banks as a result are making big speculative profits to offset their gigantic losses, while at the same time the economy falls deeper into inflationary depression. This is the tyranny of our almost 100 year old privately owned banking system.”

Why are the elected representatives of the people allowing this to continue? And don’t think the situation in Europe concerning the practices of the European Central Bank is any better.

More wind turbines means more power stations
when they’re coupled to the grid,
to guarantee a steady flow;
it’s plain to see when once you know
that energy from wind though free
depends upon its speed power three.
Great fluctuations, random too,
is thus a fact none can eschew.

Both inefficient and a danger
to the large-scale power supply
one wonders who then stand to gain
from chopping air, birds, slicing rain.
Those who find them attractive may
stand with but few, I dare to say,
and subsidised it seems they’ll stay –
no prizes to guess who must pay.

I refer you to this very readable article by an expert who will let you in on secrets concerning wind turbines others don’t want you to know:

Looking out from the European Dictatorship, many eyes are fixed on moves in the US that could have far-reaching effects worldwide. The Federal Reserve (FED) is to be investigated by a congressional committee consisting of those, including Ron Paul, who are strongly opposed to its secretive and unconstitutional methods. The FED has poured trillions of taxpayers’ dollars into financial entities in the US and Europe to make it look like they were solvent, when in fact they were all insolvent and still are bankrupt. Citizens are finally realizing that the banks are the problem and that they are being forced to bail them out.

Though more waken to injustice There endures a status quo With the same old nags and urges From the “buy our products” show

And the politicians struggle With the same destructive chores Propping banks up with our money And supporting phoney wars

As our pockets slowly empty And debt rises uncontrolled For the coming generations It’s a future bleak and cold

One bright light shines in the darkness In the land that once was free Ron Paul gets to ask some questions And they’ll get the third degree

Those who now control the purse strings Who play games the rich to aid Must at last reveal their methods And how much to whom was paid

As with David and Goliath Small things can lead to great change So let’s join the fight for freedom There’s a lot to rearrange

Mr. Bernanke, our thanks to you for bringing us closer to poverty printing money as you do. We people and our offspring will have to pay the bill. Get your house in order I hear John Keynes say to you.

Mr. Bernanke, our thanks to you, no doubt big bankers will once again welcome everything you do. By spending, spending, spending, Obama plays your game. The day is surely coming when someone will get the blame.

I read today that the European Commission has agreed to inject ten billion euros into an Irish Bank that lost money through bad investments and has already received four billion. Will the Irish people benefit, or other Europeans and their offspring who must help pay the debt incurred?

Quick I need a billion – no, why not make it three, or ten, it’s only bits and bytes in databanks, you see.

Money manufactured to fill that great balloon inflated by the bankers for some most opportune.

When those who hold the purse strings wield power, the world to rule, then freedom will be bought and sold or taken from the fool.

During an election discussion on TV yesterday evening, someone suggested that employers should allow their employees time off to enjoy the 2010 World Cup football matches involving the Dutch team. This received a round of applause from those who were no doubt football-loving employees, but when an employer stood up and commented, ‘Unpaid, of course’ the applause gave way to boos. The politicians sat smiling, obviously enjoying a respite from heated discussions of more important issues.

Whether one agrees or not with all of the conclusions stated in the article, there are obviously some dubious financial deals being hatched in Europe in the fight against the Union’s financial collapse that would seem only to increase the risks of it happening.

Many of the European Union’s (EU) member governments are plunging deeper into debt to bail out the Greek government’s far larger one incurred by the incompetence and corrupt practices of its leaders. A group of lawyers in Germany is filing a suit against its state because these actions it says are illegal according to the EU’s constitution. I quote from an article, one of many on the subject:
“The complaint will argue that the rescue contains an illegal rate subsidy, threatens monetary stability as encoded in the Maastricht Treaty, and breaches the ‘no bail-out’ clause. Greece is clearly responsible for its own mess.”

Well, according to various reports, the local authorities in Europe were wrong to impose a no fly ban during the recent Icelandic eruption. In an article here from the Mail Online the European Commission’s director general of transport accuses the weather experts in the UK of using a model not based on scientific facts to forecast the spread of volcanic ash. (This reminds me of something. Oh yes, global warming is based on similar contentions).
Limited airborne measurements taken since the eruption have found little evidence over Europe of ash components that could be damaging to aircraft engines. As I suggested yesterday the lives of some are apparently cheap when authorities are willing to risk accidents to avoid financial pain.

I realized today that the Dutch Government’s financial deficit of about €30-billion is almost the same amount it gave to the banks during the financial bailout last year. It is now proposing that the people pay for this deficit through increased taxation and reduced social services. I wonder why the same banks aren’t being required to invest more in the local economy to stimulate economic growth. I admit I’m no financial expert but I note that many of those who are advocate the same thing.

The European Union (EU) is having problems that were foreseen but not openly discussed until now. Simply put, there are member states that are better at bookkeeping and combating corruption than others.

One thing western governments should be doing, but are not, is preventing unscrupulous organizations from dangerous and fraudulent activities having a devastating effect on populations and economies at the national and international level. The Financial Crisis and the Global Warming and the Swine Flu scandals are, of course, the prime examples of this. Why is it taking so long to right the wrongs and set up safeguards to prevent similar occurrences in the future? (more…)